Testing Tactics in Hair: Beyond Biology, Why African Hair is Fragile via Cosmetics & Toiletries

Individual hair fibers come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors that collectively create the fundamental properties of a head of hair. Most obviously, these features not only dictate visual appearance but they are also behind other important factors, such as manageability and even an ability to attain certain styles. This leads to the popular concept of hair “type,” where certain shared characte­ristics lead to categori­zation into broad, general classifi­cations.

The most extreme of these fiber shapes is seen in individuals of African descent wherein fibers, most notably, can possess very tight curls. Further investigation at a microscopic level reveals how these fibers can be overtly elliptical and may contain twists down their lengths to produce a ribbon-like conformation.

This remarkable shape can, however, lead to a variety of issues for the wearer.¹ High on this list is a marked propensity for breakage, and efforts to minimize this occurrence result in different hair-related habits and practices for the end user. This article describes recent measurement advances that shed much-needed light on the reason for these issues.

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Published by Cosmetics & Toiletries , June 2020